Discovering Our Happy Endings
by mistyrain79
Summary: According to Ana, Christian broke her heart. According to Christian, Ana broke his heart. All they both wanted was a happy ending. They reunite by chance four years later living in two different worlds, both stubborn as the day their relationship ended. How will Ana and Christian discover their happy ending? In each other or finally in the opportunity to move on?
1. Chapter 1

**1**

 **WASHINGTON DC -** Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. (GEH), arrived in Washington, DC today. This is his first official visit to the nation's capital.

The GEH private plane landed at the Ronald Reagan National Airport early this morning, where he was greeted by not only the press but also by representatives from numerous NGOs hoping to grab his attention and support for various issues. Grey has a packed schedule on this brief visit to DC. Later today, he is expected to head to the White House for meetings, including a visit with the President. Tomorrow, he will be attending an international conference at the World Bank on issues related to global hunger and poverty. He is expected to make a speech on GEH's recent campaigns against global hunger. Sources say he is also expected to meet with representatives from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the afternoon before heading back to GEH headquarters in Seattle.

* * *

I read the short press release five times before hastily closing out of the window. I did not expect Washington DC to be a place that Christian Grey would be traveling to. He hated all the politics and he especially hated being around any reporters… _but why the change of mind?_ I shake my head to clear any unnecessary thoughts and focus back on my work.

"Hey Ana, do you have a minute?"

I look up to see my coworker Jose leaning over my cubicle. Great, he needs another favor.

"Sure Jose, what's up?"

"Well you know they've been redoing the entire Renwick Gallery - you know, the one downtown? They need a whole bunch of books that we have for their research or something, so they asked if we could send them over. I got the delivery folks to come but you know those buffoons do not realize some of our books cost more than their salaries…. So! I just need someone responsible to play chaperone. Please?"

I sigh and roll my eyes.

I learned from early on that it is always better to be on Jose's good list. He knew all the office gossip and if he liked you, he made sure the gossip died down as quickly as it spread. If he didn't like you - it spread with more vulgar details than anyone cared to know. Jose wasn't necessarily bad - I actually didn't mind him so much. It was just that, no one (probably including himself) knew what his job was. He always went around "delegating" his duties to others and I always ran into him at Starbucks on a coffee run.

"Fine… you owe me one."

"Darling of course I do. You are coming to my happy hour this Friday right?"

I shake my head and before Jose can start yelling add, "It's our one year anniversary this Friday so we are going out to celebrate."

Jose makes a sour face. "Ugh. Fine. If he's making you miss out on my happy hour, he better be putting a ring on it."

March was a strange month for Washington - some years, it was warm enough for all the cherry blossoms to bloom while some years, DC saw some major snow storms. Thankfully, today is not bad - I don't mind being out of the office for a while. The ride to Renwick Gallery is a short one and my work is done relatively quickly. After repeating over and over again the importance of keeping these books in pristine conditions, I decline a ride back and opt to walk a bit while listening to music. Renwick Gallery is just steps away from the White House - thankfully, Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House is open to pedestrians so I don't need to make a detour. There is a bit of commotion as the Secret Service activities pick-up. I hear police sirens from the distance - nothing out of ordinary for DC.

Shit, if Christian is coming to the White House for meetings, there probably will be a motorcade since Pennsylvania Avenue is closed to regular vehicular traffic. _What if… no, get a grip Ana - we now live in completely different worlds._

I am lost in my train of thought that I don't hear the police sirens coming closer and closer until I hear cars honking. I jump and look behind me to see several Secret Service agents running towards me yelling and a line of black cars following patiently behind them. Oops.

"Mam, you need to step aside immediately."

"Sorry officer. I had my earphones in."

I step aside to where the agent points to and the line of black cars slowly proceeds towards the White House gates. One of the SUVs stop directly in front of me. The Secret Service agent looks at me and back at the SUV, blocking me with his arm.

"Mam, stay where you are."

The rear door opens and lo and behold, Christian Grey exits from the car.

"Anastasia."

I stare in shock, not sure what I can stay or what I should say. _Is this really happening right now?_

"Anastasia, it's been a long time."

I continue to just stare at him, hoping that if I stare hard enough, I can wake up from this nightmare. Christian looks at his watch and sighs.

"Anastasia, I have about 5 minutes I can spare before I need to head in to the White House. Can you get in the car?"

That's when I snap out of the trance. "Christian… It has indeed been a while. You look well. You have a meeting at the White House… you should go ahead. It was nice seeing you."

I try to walk away but I'm stopped by the Secret Service agent. "Mam, this is the last warning - you need to stay where you are."

"Get your fucking hands off her." Christian closes the distance we had between us and walks over to where I am standing. "I said I have 5 minutes to spare - would you please get in the car?"

"Christian, you are making a commotion. You should just go."

"If you would get in, I wouldn't be causing such commotion. _Please_ Ana - just 5 minutes. I haven't seen you in 4 years - I'm not leaving without talking to you. You know how stubborn I am - I've gotten worse."

I sigh and get in the car, Christian following right behind me as if he is afraid that I would change my mind.

"Taylor, could you give us some privacy for 5 minutes?"

The man in the driver seat steps out without a word and the car is silent - tension so thick, I can almost see it in the air.

"You wanted to talk - you have 5 minutes."

"How have you been Ana? Wait no… How are you in DC? No… What have you been doing?" Christian sighs before putting his head in his hands. "Ana, we need more than 5 minutes. Let's do dinner tomorrow. I can delay my return flight so we'll have plenty of time. I'm staying at the Four Seasons in Georgetown - how about we do dinner at Bourbon Steak?"

"Whoa Christian, slow down." I've never seen Christian so nervous. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? You don't like steak? Then we can go somewhere else."

"No Christian, I don't think us having dinner is a good idea. What is there to say?"

"Trust me - we have plenty to discuss. If I had known you were in DC…"

"Christian.. you had the means to look people up 4 years ago. I'm sure you still do. The fact that you didn't look me up for the past 4 years… it's clear we don't have anything to discuss."

"Ana, I was respecting your privacy. After I left Harvard and you walked out of my apartment, I resisted every attempt to track you down because of your wishes."

"After _I_ walked out of your apartment? Christian, _YOU_ ended our relationship."

There is a knock on the window - sign that our 5 minutes is up.

"Ana, please. Just one meal. If you wish to never hear from me again after, I will respect your wishes. But after running into you like this, I need you to talk to you. Please."

There is another knock on the window - more urgent this time.

"Fine. Dinner it is."

Christian breathes a sigh of relief and takes his iPhone out from his suit pocket. "Your number? I'll call you with details."

I already have the left side of the car door half open, ready to get out. "I'm sure you can find it if you try hard enough."


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

 _CPOV_

The meetings at the White House are all a blur - I can barely recall the meeting with the President. I replied at the right moments, smiled when I needed to, shook hands, and left with some promising leads and support for GEH's efforts worldwide - I would have been pretty satisfied with the meeting, but the brunette beauty that has been haunting me for the last 4 years linger in my mind.

"Welch, get me anything and everything on Anastasia Steele, including her current phone number, address and employer by end of the day today."

"Yes sir, on it."

I toss the phone on the seat next to me, where Ana was present hours ago and sigh. If I could have blown off those meetings, I would have done so in a heartbeat. It's what she deserves and even at this point in my life, I still failed to provide what she deserves.

 _Worthless piece of shit._

"Taylor, please drive around the city for a bit - I want to see the view."

So this must be the view that Ana has every day - to and from work, meeting with friends, possibly with a boyfriend? Has she always been that thin? There is something different about Ana - what is it? I run my fingers through my hair pulling at it in frustration. I don't know exactly what it is that is frustrating me, but I am restless.

My phone rings and I jump from the break in silence.

"Grey."

"Lil bro - Welch called."

"Why the fuck would he be calling you Elliot?"

"Don't you remember? You and I made a pact that you wouldn't go snooping around doing background checks on Ana after you two broke up. I just asked Welch back then to give me a call when you did - trust me, I am pretty impressed he remembered after all these years."

"Well fuck off, I changed my mind."

"What for? It's been years. Let it go man."

"I saw her today, in front of the White House of all places." I sigh again. "I convinced her to dinner tomorrow so I need anything I can get on her. Kate keeps in touch with her right?"

"Not much, I don't think. Hold up."

…

"Yes, brother-in-law-to-be. How can I be of assistance?"

Any other time, I would have been irritated with her but I let it go this time. "Do you still keep in touch with Ana?"

I hear Kate sigh before she begins to talk. "Honestly? Not really anymore. Shortly after you two broke up, she took leave of absence for that last semester and didn't return before I graduated - I think she mentioned something about her dad being ill. You know how private she was. We kept in touch for a while but I was so busy with my internship, last semester, finding a job and you know, just living life and she wasn't that great at reaching out either, so our friendship just sort of faded away. I know that's terrible of me but you have to understand that I was in a iffy situation too - it was like Ana's name was forbidden within 100 feet of your presence… and Elliot and I were spending a lot of time with you after the break-up…"

"I've heard enough, thanks."

I throw the phone in frustration.

I should have checked in on her. I have no idea how she lived for the four years we were apart.

She certainly did not look well. She lost a lot of weight - I'm sure of it.

"Taylor, let's go back to the hotel."

* * *

I pace back and forth in my hotel suite, more restless by the minute. I'm just waiting for that email from Welch. He said 10 minutes exactly 9 minutes ago. Where the fuck is it? I'm about to call Welch when the email notification goes off. Finally.

 **Name:** Anastasia Rose Steele

 **Date of Birth:** September 10, 1990

 **Current Address:** 1114 SW Green Street, Apartment 7, Washington, DC 20003

 **Mobile Number:** 202-555-4352

 **Bank:** Wells Fargo Bank, Washington, DC / $320.11 checking account balance / $143.26 savings account balance / $2952.79 credit card account balance

 **Occupation:** Assistant Librarian

 **Employer:** Library of Congress

 **Education:** Harvard University, English Major - Graduated May 2014 (Leave of absence from January 2012 - January 2014)

 **Father:** Franklin A. Lambert (DOB: Sept. 1, 1969, Deceased Sept. 11, 1990)

 **Mother:** Carla May Wilks Adams (DOB: July 18, 1970); married Frank Lambert (March 1, 1989 - Sept. 11, 1990); married Raymond Steele (June 6, 1991 - July 12, 2007); married Stephen M. Morton (Aug. 16, 2007 - Jan. 31, 2008); married Bob Adams (April 6, 2009 - current)

 **Political Affiliations:** None found

 **Religious Affiliations:** None found

 **Sexual Orientation:** Heterosexual

 **Relationships:** Currently known to be dating Ethan Kavanagh since March 2015

* * *

After an initial read of the report, I reread it as I pace around the hotel suite - still unsure how to make sense of the 320 dollar balance and the fact that Ana is dating Ethan. I read it once more. And once… no, ten more times looking for some insight into Ana's life that I missed.

Last I heard, Ethan left the Kavanagh family home after a major argument with Mr. Kavanagh and hasn't attempted to make contact since. _How…?_

I hear another ping from my phone - email notification. The second email from Welch reveals Ana's medical records. I know I shouldn't look but my thumb is on the email before I even process what I am doing.

 _Routine physicals here and there, normal blood work, slightly anemic two years back which came back normal last year… good girl._

I scroll the email report down further and freeze. Pages after pages are invoices from a psychiatrist's office dating back to September 2012. There are also pages of prescriptions from the same office... _Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax…_

What.

The.

Fuck.

 _How…? Why…? What in the world happened to Anastasia Steele in the last 4 years?_

"Welch, why are all the details missing from visits to the psychiatrist's office? I only have invoices and prescriptions."

"Unfortunately Mr. Grey, due to HIPAA and privacy laws, the office keeps all records in a secure place. There was absolutely nothing I could do about those records. I was able to pull the invoices and prescriptions from other vendors since it went through multiple levels, I could not pull medical records from the psychiatrist."

I am even more restless than I was before. I always have a a plan when it comes to work. And in case anything happens and Plan A fails, I always, _always_ have Plan B. I can't think of anything for Ana. Where do I start? I begin pacing around the hotel suite again - I must have walked at least a mile since Welch's report.

"Sir."

"Yes Taylor."

"Andrea just called to inform me that the private room in the Bourbon Steak restaurant has been reserved for 6 o'clock tomorrow for party of two. I have alerted the flight team to be on stand by for later tomorrow night."

"Good. I'll inform Ana myself."

 _Get a grip Christian Grey. You own a multibillion dollar company. Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out._

"Hello? This is Ana."

"Anastasia, it's Christian."

"Wow, I must say I'm impressed. That was fast."

"Um, thank you." I clear my throat. _When did I start saying 'um'? Focus, Grey._ "I was calling, as promised, to let you know about tomorrow's dinner plans. I have the private room at Bourbon Steak reserved for 6 o'clock. Shall I pick you up at 5:40?"

"I'll take a cab. And before you say anything else, I will still take a cab no matter what you say so let's just save any arguments for tomorrow and leave it at that."

"Very well Anastasia. I look forward to our dinner tomorrow."

*Click*

Did she just hang up on me without so much as a goodbye?

I slouch down into the sofa stretching my legs, thinking about every word spoken between Ana and I since this afternoon. I literally scratch my head trying to come up with reasons as to why Ana is so angry, so hostile towards me. I only gave her what she wanted. I only did what she was too scared to do, I only did what she desired but couldn't say to my face. For the first time since the day Ana walked out of my life, I begin to think that there must have been some misunderstanding. I shake my head.

 _No, I heard her loud and clear._

 _"He's getting to be too much for me to handle. I can't handle his problems anymore. I need out."_


End file.
